National Institutes of Health · United States

Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Open

Applications close on 12 Jul 2029. Eligible applicant types include state governments, public and State controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education and 12 more.

Deadline: 12 Jul 2029 (in 970 days)
Grant amount: Not stated — see the official call
Funding rate: No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated
Cost sharing: Not required
Likely applicant types: Public bodies, Universities & research, SMEs / start-ups, Companies, Non-profits From source categories or programme rules; the call decides.
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Reference: PAR-27-062
Assistance listing: 93.121 Oral Diseases and Disorders Research; 93.286 Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health; 93.398 Cancer Research Manpower; 93.853 Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders; 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research
Last checked: 13 Nov 2026

Open the official call ↗ Add deadline to calendar

About this call

The purpose of the Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32) is to support rigorous, mentored scientific research and career development for up to three years for early-stage postdoctoral scholars. Candidates must submit their application up to one year prior to beginning their postdoctoral position or no more than two years after their postdoctoral training begins (resubmissions included). The ACE K32 will foster early, goal-directed planning and encourage innovative applications with the potential for a significant impact on scientific research and career development. Inclusion of preliminary data are not required as the ACE K32 emphasizes innovative research ideas and thoughtful plans for training and mentorship that will facilitate the development of the postdoctoral scholars who have the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers.

Who can apply

State governments
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Special district governments
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Small businesses
Independent school districts
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
County governments
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
City or township governments
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International Collaborations:Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.

Applicant categories are a starting point. The official call decides eligibility.

Topics

Health

How to apply

Read the full notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) linked from the official page: eligibility, cost sharing and evaluation criteria.
Make sure your organisation has an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity ID (UEI); registration can take several weeks.
For NIH: the organisation and the principal investigator also need eRA Commons accounts; applications are usually submitted through Grants.gov (for example with ASSIST).
Prepare the required forms, narrative, budget and attachments exactly as the NOFO specifies.
Submit before the deadline and keep the tracking number. Check for amendments before you submit.

From the call text

Who can apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Company stage: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Single applicant or consortium: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where applicants must be based: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page
Where to apply: Not stated in the call text we hold — check the official page

Contact

National Institutes of Health · ncik32@nih.gov · 301-402-2541

Where these facts come from

Fact	Value	How we know	Taken from the source
Deadline	12 July 2029	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Amount per applicant	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Total budget	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—
Funding rate	No mandatory cost sharing stated; funding percentage not stated	read from the official text	15 Nov 2026
Who can apply	State governments; Public and State controlled institutions of higher education; Private institutions of higher education; Special district governments; Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on…	official data field	15 Nov 2026
Where to apply	Unknown — not stated in the source we hold	unknown	—

Official sources

Official call page

Facts on this page come from the funder’s official data, taken on 13 Nov 2026. The funder's own documents, including later amendments, always take precedence.